Martin’s Tour of Richmond rolls through Henrico

Citizen Staff Reports 10/04/12

The first annual Martin’s Tour of Richmond cycling event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 6. This Gran Fondo will feature a full 102-mile loop around Richmond as well as a 59-mile option and a 29-mile option.

Gran Fondos, or “big ride” in Italian, are long distance, mass-participation cycling events – not races. Participation is open to recreational and competitive amateur cyclists. The full 102-mile course starts at Richmond International Raceway at 7 a.m. The 59-mile course starts at the J. Sargeant Reynolds Goochland Campus at 10 a.m. and the 29-mile course starts at Patrick Henry High School in Hanover at 12:30 p.m. All riders finish at the Richmond Raceway Complex where a post-ride celebration will feature live entertainment, beer and barbecue.

The race will briefly interfere with road traffic in Henrico at the following areas:

Walk-up registration Oct. 5-6 is $50 to $115. The event charity is Bike/Walk RVA, an advocacy program committed to making the Richmond area more bike and pedestrian friendly. For more information, visit http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/tour-richmond

The 10th Annual Filipino Festival will be held Aug. 7-8 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 8200 Woodman Rd., beginning with opening ceremonies at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing with live entertainment, food and exhibits until 10 p.m. On Saturday the festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a full schedule of performances featuring traditional Filipino dance, music and song.

Filipino cuisine, including BBQ, pansit, lumpia, adobo, halo-halo, lechon, empanada and leche flan, will be available for purchase. The festival will also feature a children's area, church tours, exhibits, and health screenings. > Read more.

The Children’s Museum of Richmond last week opened its new Short Pump location at Short Pump Town Center, to the delight of children who attended a sneak preview of the location July 10. The new facility, located under the forthcoming LL Bean store (formerly the food court) is 8,500 square feet in size – much larger than CMoR’s former Short Pump location at West Broad Village, which opened in 2010. The new space includes The CarMax Foundation Service Station, the Silver Diner, a grocery store, a performance stage and an art studio, as well as a giant Light Bright Wall. > Read more.

The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Henrico Police are both presenting community events tomorrow, Aug. 1. The Feria Community Resource Fair at Richmond International Raceway brings together community service providers, embassies/consulates from Latin American countries, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and corporations that impact the Latino community. The Division of Police’s Community Day will feature demonstrations and displays from police, fire, animal protection and sheriff’s office, as well as family activities, food, entertainment and more. Other events this weekend include wine, chess and theatre! For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.